A recent discussion about Amtrak in Grand Central Terminal got me thinking about when I used to travel from my parent's home near Boston to college at Lehigh University in Bethlehem PA. After I started school there in 1967 I mostly flew the first year, using a convenient Allegheny Airlines turbo prop service ABE to BOS with a stop in New Haven CT. However I had made a number of railfan friends who urged me to try the train. I ended up using the train for most trips until I obtained my first car a 1963 VW Beetle in 1970.
This is one typical trip in 1969. We left our house in the South Shore suburb of Hingham early and headed up Route 3 and the Expressway. Fortunately traffic was moving well. Since my Dad's welding shop was near Central Square Cambridge it was convenient to shoot up Mass Ave through Roxbury then drop me at Back Bay station then he could continue up Mass Ave to Central Square. I arrived at the station in plenty of time to get my ticket. Just as well as the elderly lady in front of me was taking her time writing a check. "Do I make that out to the Pennsylvania Railroad"? "No Ma'am, that would be Penn Central". Eventually I got my ticket and waited in the still grand old waiting room. It's a shame that this facility could not have been kept and renovated instead of the functional concrete structure we have now.
Pretty soon it was time for my train the New Yorker which was scheduled to depart at 7:05 AM. "New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad Shore Line service to New York City, the New Yorker, making stops at Route 128, Providence ...". Yes the NHRR had been folded into PC as of January 1 but not as far as this announcer was concerned. There were not a lot of us so we got to ride the baggage elevator down to the platform. At the platform the UAC Turbo Train was getting ready to leave for its 7 AM departure just ahead of our train. It got the highball and with a roar like a 737 starting its takeoff roll, it sped out of the station. Our train pulled in a few minutes later, pulled by a former PRR E8/E9 in PC black followed by a string of former NH streamlined cars. Some of them had the PC green window bands which actually did not look bad. This train also had a dining car. more on that later.
We boarded the train and headed off. I was hungry so I figured I'd check out the diner. This was actually my first time in a railroad diner. Well it turned out the commissary hadn't gotten around to stocking the train so there was no eggs, bacon, or anything of that sort. I settled for toast, orange juice and coffee. At least I got to eat my first ever dining car "meal" somewhat. The cream for the coffee came in an old silver plated pitcher with an NYNH&H script logo on it, very cool.
When I got to Grand Central Terminal, where all but 4 trains from Boston terminated, I had a couple of choices. I could take the 42nd St. shuttle to Times Square and then either the 7th Ave IRT or 8th Ave IND, or I could walk if the weather was good. I don't recall what I did that day. I remember once going via 8th Ave and seeing a train of R-1/9's heading northbound, stopping at a signal then proceeding with the groan of gears as it accelerated into the station. I don't recall my ride but it was something newer.
Once at Penn Station I boarded a "clocker" for Philadelphia, a GG-1 followed by a string of ex PRR P-70 coaches that had seen better days. Food service consisted of a guy with a cardboard box of snacks parked on 2 seats at the end of one coach. But it got me to Philly. There I had a couple of choices. I could ride a SEPTA train to Suburban Station then walk the few blocks to the magnificent arched roof Reading Terminal for my train to Bethlehem. Or if I was feeling adventurous I could ride the Market St. subway to 13th St, change to City Hall and the Broad St. subway to North Philadelphia then the short walk over to North Broad St station on the RDG where I could either wait for my train or ride a train of Blueliners to Lansdale and wait therein somewhat better surroundings. North Broad was in a fairly sketchy neighborhood but okay in the daytime. I don't recall what I did on this particular trip. Once I got on the Bethlehem train it was usually a 3 car set of Budd RDC cars. If any of my college friends had been along we probably would have flipped one of the seat backs horizontal and put a bag under it to make an impromptu table for playing Hearts, a game we seem to be addicted to. But being by myself, just look out the window at the scenery.
The Reading service was pretty good considering the poor financial state of the company, which would later be absorbed into Conrail along with several other struggling northeastern lines. One of my friends who regularly rode from school to his parent's house in Northeast Philly told me of an incident where the RDC was low on crankcase oil so the conductor had the train stop near a gas station so he could go buy a case of motor oil which he put into the engine. It was that kind of an operation with the dedication of some of the employees holding things together.
Well enough reminiscing. With Amtrak things have gotten a bit better although we lost the train service to Bethlehem and I don't see it returning anytime soon.
This is one typical trip in 1969. We left our house in the South Shore suburb of Hingham early and headed up Route 3 and the Expressway. Fortunately traffic was moving well. Since my Dad's welding shop was near Central Square Cambridge it was convenient to shoot up Mass Ave through Roxbury then drop me at Back Bay station then he could continue up Mass Ave to Central Square. I arrived at the station in plenty of time to get my ticket. Just as well as the elderly lady in front of me was taking her time writing a check. "Do I make that out to the Pennsylvania Railroad"? "No Ma'am, that would be Penn Central". Eventually I got my ticket and waited in the still grand old waiting room. It's a shame that this facility could not have been kept and renovated instead of the functional concrete structure we have now.
Pretty soon it was time for my train the New Yorker which was scheduled to depart at 7:05 AM. "New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad Shore Line service to New York City, the New Yorker, making stops at Route 128, Providence ...". Yes the NHRR had been folded into PC as of January 1 but not as far as this announcer was concerned. There were not a lot of us so we got to ride the baggage elevator down to the platform. At the platform the UAC Turbo Train was getting ready to leave for its 7 AM departure just ahead of our train. It got the highball and with a roar like a 737 starting its takeoff roll, it sped out of the station. Our train pulled in a few minutes later, pulled by a former PRR E8/E9 in PC black followed by a string of former NH streamlined cars. Some of them had the PC green window bands which actually did not look bad. This train also had a dining car. more on that later.
We boarded the train and headed off. I was hungry so I figured I'd check out the diner. This was actually my first time in a railroad diner. Well it turned out the commissary hadn't gotten around to stocking the train so there was no eggs, bacon, or anything of that sort. I settled for toast, orange juice and coffee. At least I got to eat my first ever dining car "meal" somewhat. The cream for the coffee came in an old silver plated pitcher with an NYNH&H script logo on it, very cool.
When I got to Grand Central Terminal, where all but 4 trains from Boston terminated, I had a couple of choices. I could take the 42nd St. shuttle to Times Square and then either the 7th Ave IRT or 8th Ave IND, or I could walk if the weather was good. I don't recall what I did that day. I remember once going via 8th Ave and seeing a train of R-1/9's heading northbound, stopping at a signal then proceeding with the groan of gears as it accelerated into the station. I don't recall my ride but it was something newer.
Once at Penn Station I boarded a "clocker" for Philadelphia, a GG-1 followed by a string of ex PRR P-70 coaches that had seen better days. Food service consisted of a guy with a cardboard box of snacks parked on 2 seats at the end of one coach. But it got me to Philly. There I had a couple of choices. I could ride a SEPTA train to Suburban Station then walk the few blocks to the magnificent arched roof Reading Terminal for my train to Bethlehem. Or if I was feeling adventurous I could ride the Market St. subway to 13th St, change to City Hall and the Broad St. subway to North Philadelphia then the short walk over to North Broad St station on the RDG where I could either wait for my train or ride a train of Blueliners to Lansdale and wait therein somewhat better surroundings. North Broad was in a fairly sketchy neighborhood but okay in the daytime. I don't recall what I did on this particular trip. Once I got on the Bethlehem train it was usually a 3 car set of Budd RDC cars. If any of my college friends had been along we probably would have flipped one of the seat backs horizontal and put a bag under it to make an impromptu table for playing Hearts, a game we seem to be addicted to. But being by myself, just look out the window at the scenery.
The Reading service was pretty good considering the poor financial state of the company, which would later be absorbed into Conrail along with several other struggling northeastern lines. One of my friends who regularly rode from school to his parent's house in Northeast Philly told me of an incident where the RDC was low on crankcase oil so the conductor had the train stop near a gas station so he could go buy a case of motor oil which he put into the engine. It was that kind of an operation with the dedication of some of the employees holding things together.
Well enough reminiscing. With Amtrak things have gotten a bit better although we lost the train service to Bethlehem and I don't see it returning anytime soon.
